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'Talent not an issue' for Robert Nkemdiche, 'maturity is'

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Arizona Cardinals rookie Robert Nkemdiche happens to be in the headlines again, and not for his play on the field, something that has become somewhat of a trend. He has been inactive for the last two games and has only played in four games all season.

More recently, there was a dress code issue. Things just haven’t gone the way people expected. Nkrmdiche was supposed to be an impact player in Year 1. Yes, he missed a tone of training camp with a high ankle sprain, but it is more than that.

That seems familiar to tackle D.J. Humphries a season ago, who was inactive every game last season. He has started every game this season.

Arians said the two players are in different situations.

“D.J. worked harder,” Arians said.

The Cardinals took a chance on Nkemdiche after he fell in the first round because of character issues. The team was confident his off-the-field issues were not going to continue. The reported issues of work ethic and other things appear to have lingered.

Surely this has been a tough year for Nkemdiche. He likely expected to play. Then he got hurt. And Bruce Arians is one to make rookies earn their spot. Nkemdiche is wired a little differently. Had he been able to play more early on, his work ethic would probably be better.

That’s not to say Arians is handling him wrong. It is a catch-22. The Cardinals are not short on defensive linemen. They have players ahead of Nkemdiche. He has to prove himself. But were this a bad team that never had any hopes of the playoffs, playing him early and often probably would have yielded better results.

Is he a bust? Certainly not yet. But he needs to grow up in a hurry.

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